Problem Pig - Please help

[Picco]

hello everyone,

I have a Problem with one of my pigs. She chases the male (castrated) when ever he comes to close to either her or the other Female. Before the male was introduced she constantly tried to mount the other female (for well over a month).

When I try and take her out of the cage she sometimes runs away and then I leave her be but other times she lifts her belly of the ground and lets me take her. As soon as I am settling in she starts screaming and wont sit still. That naturally stresses out the other two in the cage.

Whenever I take one pig out and place it back in (doesn't matter who) she starts rumblestrutting even tho the other pigs both submit to her but she does not care.

She has many nodges in her ears when I bought her. Maybe I should not have gotten her but I never had this level of trouble introducing a baby to an adult (both female, the male came later to try and calm the situation).
I have tried many things. I have also tried reaching out to animal rescues and ask them for advice. Nothing has worked. Please

 

[Wiebke]

hello everyone,

I have a Problem with one of my pigs. She chases the male (castrated) when ever he comes to close to either her or the other Female. Before the male was introduced she constantly tried to mount the other female (for well over a month).

When I try and take her out of the cage she sometimes runs away and then I leave her be but other times she lifts her belly of the ground and lets me take her. As soon as I am settling in she starts screaming and wont sit still. That naturally stresses out the other two in the cage.

Whenever I take one pig out and place it back in (doesn't matter who) she starts rumblestrutting even tho the other pigs both submit to her but she does not care.

She has many nodges in her ears when I bought her. Maybe I should not have gotten her but I never had this level of trouble introducing a baby to an adult (both female, the male came later to try and calm the situation).
I have tried many things. I have also tried reaching out to animal rescues and ask them for advice. Nothing has worked. Please

Hi!

Your sow is likely suffering from hormonal ovarian cysts. Please have her seen by a vet experienced with guinea pigs.

Here is more information on the behaviour you are describing and on possible treatment options for ovarian cysts. They are a very common problem in adult sows. You will hopefully find this link here very helpful: Sows: Behaviour and female health problems (including ovarian cysts)

 

[Picco]

Hi!

Your sow is likely suffering from hormonal ovarian cysts. Please have her seen by a vet experienced with guinea pigs.

Here is more information on the behaviour you are describing and on possible treatment options for ovarian cysts. They are a very common problem in adult sows. You will hopefully find this link here very helpful: Sows: Behaviour and female health problems (including ovarian cysts)

Hi!
Thank you for your tipp. I finally got an appointment with my vet. My guinipig is healthy. I have to keep her seperat for now because she drew blood from one of my other pigs. This has calmed her down emensly. Did I find a guinipig hermit? I was tought to NEVER keep guinipigs alone but she like no other guinnipig. nether mine nore the once of others. What now?

 

[Wiebke]

Hi!
Thank you for your tipp. I finally got an appointment with my vet. My guinipig is healthy. I have to keep her seperat for now because she drew blood from one of my other pigs. This has calmed her down emensly. Did I find a guinipig hermit? I was tought to NEVER keep guinipigs alone but she like no other guinnipig. nether mine nore the once of others. What now?

Some guinea pigs are so afraid of others that they can totally over-react. I have been able to rehabilitate some of them and eventually find them a compatible companion but my dumped human orientated ex-single Beryn, who took 1 1/2 years of finding a piggy she clicked with and bonding over several weeks is back to being a determined single again after I found mate Betsan dead from a sudden massive heart attack with a mouthful of hay shortly before the pandemic too off. She has next door company and gets daily roaming time where she can say hello to even more Tribe piggies through the bars but she has made it clear that at 5 years she is not willing to share her space again.

While the vast majority of guinea pigs profit from company in their space (and a number more from ongoing interaction with their neighbours but their own territory, a small minority of piggies are true singles. Some because they are not recognising themselves as guinea pigs, others because they are totally frightened of other piggies (fear-aggression) and many, especially older sows, because they are not willing to share their space with a new piggy but still like to interact with their neighbours. Single piggies are actually quite a diverse group with very different challenges. The trick is to work out what makes the one you are dealing with tick and which way of keeping them makes them happiest.

You may find these guide links here interesting. In the singles guide I am looking at singles in different situations with their own specific challenges; companionship options and in the last chapter at how single guinea pigs can transfer their social needs onto you and how that does manifest to help you as the owner of a single piggy work out what makes your piggy happiest. The other guide has a chapter on fear-aggression (fear and stress chapters). I am planning to write a more comprehensive article about fear-aggression later this for Guinea Pig Magazine.
Single Guinea Pigs - Challenges and Responsibilities
Moody guinea pigs: Depression, Bullying, Aggression, Stress, Fear and Antisocial Behaviour

I hope that this information, especially in the links will help you. Please don't feel like it is your fault. when it comes to guinea pigs, there are always exceptions to every rule. You have one of those piggies.